A Shade's Difference
by Angel Angamaite
Summary: When 'Different shades of the same colour are different colours, but they look very similar', and King Thranduil cannot tell colors apart, who's to say the Crown Prince's robes aren't pink?


Disclaimer; Do not own Lord of the Rings. Nothing you recognize is mine. Legolas' older brother's personality is mine, but the name is Sindarin I combined to make a name. Or, at least, I think it was Sindarin. ..;;;;

Note; This is based off something that really happened. Yep yep. Not to me, though.

Now, on to the fiction;

-

A Shade's Difference

"Little brother, please," said an exasperated Asaelin. The Crown Prince once again tucked a lock of silken white-blond hair behind a delicately pointed ear as he strode down the hall with an armful of scrolls.

"But Asae..." complained the Elfling jogging next to him, using the childhood nickname for his brother. "Why are your robes pink?" Asaelin resisted the urge to roll his minty eyes.

"They are mulberry, Legolas. Mulberry. It is a grayish purple color." was the tart reply. Legolas raised an eyebrow even as he redoubled his pace to keep up with his elder brother, who was now walking faster in an effort to escape.

"Why is everyone saying they are pink then, brother?" Asaelin made a strange sound in his throat that, coming from any other Elf, would have been a groan.

"Who is 'they', hmm?" he inquired, attempting valiantly not to show his irritation in his voice or manner.

"Adar," replied Legolas innocently. "He said they were 'magenta', and everyone knows magenta is pink," he explained patiently. The Crown Prince cleared his throat indignantly, unconsciously straightening his posture further.

"Adar... cannot tell the difference," he said vaguely in reply. Legolas faltered in his step.

"Are you sure? He did choose a color 'so becoming to your eyes' he said..." he coughed discreetly.

"Flattery gets no one anywhere," Asaelin insisted. Legolas rolled his sapphire eyes.

"I know, I know, but really, that is what ada said! Really!" the elder brother sighed in response.

"Legolas, it is not good to tell untruths," reprimanded the Crown Prince, turning and staring at him from under the laurel crown he wore. Legolas stopped abruptly, and Asaelin pulled further ahead, not looking back.

"Fine," the younger called down the corridor after him, and turned away in a huff, flaxen hair fanning out behind him.

-

"Ada?" Came the voice from the head table during dinner. Legolas was looking at his father curiously.

"Yes little one?" the King asked warmly with a smile for his youngest. He did not notice a few Elves in nearby tables stop to eavesdrop. The younger Prince cleared his throat quietly before continuing.

"Are Asaelin's new robes pink?" The mentioned Elf hunched his shoulders slightly, trying to ignore the snickers he heard from other Elves. He was positive his brother had purposely asked the question when almost everyone was finished eating, and therefore could listen better.

"No... They are magenta." Thranduil replied easily.

"Which means pink." Legolas was not to be deterred. Asaelin was now wishing the tiles would fall into a hole in the floor and take him with them, for many of the surrounding tables were listening to the oblivious two Elves in conversation. "Asae said they were 'mulberry'. That is also pink, is it not adar?" The King thought a moment before answering.

"No... It is a different shade of red. Pink is a shade of red too, but they are two different shades." Other Elves began elbowing each other and pointing out the conversation. Soon, over half the hall was hanging on every word, silent except for the clink of china.

"So you mean red robes would also be so becoming to Asaelin's eyes, like you said? If they're the same color... But green and red look like yule decor!" Muffled laughter was heard by the Crown Prince, who pushed away his plate and pillowed his head on his arms. The only two people who could possibly embarrass him, and here they were doing just that. The elder of the three Elves hastily swallowed the bite of food he was chewing.

"Well, your brother's eyes are closer to mint, like mine, and mint is a different shade of green. Different shades of the same color are different colors, but they look very similar." he sat back a bit, proud of that response.

"Oh... But you did not deny you were talking about how well magenta goes with Asaelin's eyes?"

"Mulberry!" hissed that Elf to the other two. Legolas tilted his head, but his eyes twinkled.

"But Asae, you said ada could not tell the difference! Why bother correcting, then?" The rest of the hall fell absolutely silent. It began slowly. Just a few Elves in the back. Then it was louder, like the roaring of a waterfall as a wave of laughter consumed the entirety of the expansive hall, including the younger Prince of Mirkwood and exempting its King and Crown Prince. Asaelin flushed as he looked up at his father, whom had a strange look on his face.

"You told your brother an untruth?" he inquired. Asaelin gulped audibly.

"Yes, adar," he replied in little more than a whisper.

"You always tell your brother not to tell untruths." The Crown prince nodded meekly.

"Yes, adar." Thranduil frowned and his eyebrows twitched menacingly. Legolas giggled loudly but neither noticed. Asaelin visibly shrank.

"Do not be hypocritical, child," the elder Elf scolded, unaware Legolas had said the same sentence at the same moment, then collapsed into a giggling mass of blond hair. Asaelin noticed and flushed, the tips of his ears turning a brilliant scarlet as he noticed all the attention fixed on the head table.

"Yes, ada... But..."

"But what, Asaelin?" Asaelin could not find words, so instead he nodded his head towards the watching Elves, who looked down as one and became very interested with their empty plates.

"We have captured their attention better than anything else I have discovered." The Crown Prince said sagely, attempting to regain composure.

"Why, what do you know?" chuckled Legolas, raising his head on his arms. "I suppose they all wanted to know what color your robes were, too!"

Last Updated; December 20th, 2004.

Author's Note; My twisted attempt at humor. I realize I can do much better in terms of imagery, and the Professor would be turning in his grave if he read this, because it's nothing like canon.

This story uses 'my' interpretation of Legolas' family, that being one older brother and his father. I mean, if Legolas was the Crown Prince, one would think that having him go with the Fellowship would be a stupid idea. Therefore, we have Asaelin as Crown Prince so Legolas can go off on his adventures. Asaelin (pronounced Asci-lean, approximate meaning is 'sunlit pool/lake') is about four millenia in age for this fic, and Legolas is almost forty, which would be ten years from his majority (right?). Okaies?

Anyways, I know you've all heard this before, but please Read and Review, whether to tell me it was a good fiction and I should do more, or to waste the fic. All reviews will go to the practical use of improving my writing. Thank you.


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